Druid's Country Retirement

To catch or not to catch.

The villagers made different voices.

Led by Dakui and Chang Shan, there are also a group of young people who are worried about the world being unstable. They say that if we don't catch them today, the water monkeys will drag people into the water sooner or later, and by then it will be too late.

However, Uncle Muzhu, Uncle Lao Liang, and Uncle Yandai disagreed with the village women. They believed that the water monkey was an evil creature and it would not be good for the village if they were caught or not. It would be better to fire cannons to drive away the water monkey so that the water in the well would not be violated. river water.

So the two voices quickly spread in the village.

Young people definitely don’t believe in the legend of water monkeys. They still retain feudal superstitions no matter how old they are. To put it bluntly, water monkeys are a rare wild animal.

Older people and women believe that doing more is worse than doing less. They can never be caught if they can be driven away.

Tourists stood aside to watch the excitement, and occasionally commented on the scene to express their personal opinions.

People from both sides gathered in the small square and started arguing, but no one could convince the other.

There are even some old people sitting directly on the edge of the earthen dam, making trouble for anyone who dares to go down to the pond.

For a while, the two sides were in a stalemate.

"By the way, Chunsheng, have you gone to see Village Chief Li? Why are you the only one showing up at the village committee for such a big matter?" Someone saw Chunsheng persuading him in the crowd and asked quickly.

"It's nothing. Why doesn't Village Chief Li come out?"

"It's such a big deal, it's useless for you to care about hygiene."

"Where's Village Chief Li?"

Chunsheng had a grimace on his face, pretending that he didn't want the village chief to come out and take charge of the overall situation, but the phone couldn't be reached. Not only Village Chief Li's phone couldn't be reached, but also Deputy Village Chief Fang's.

"Everyone, stop shouting. I asked Jianjun to find the village chief."

The old house of the Li family.

There was silence in the rice field. Li Hongbing squatted under the eaves and drank corn paste.

Not to mention, I was here to drink and have a good time last night. The corn glutinous rice balls taste really good. They are golden in color, delicate in texture, rich in corn kernels, and slightly sweet.

Produced by the power of origin, it must be a high-quality product.

"Xing'er, are you hungry? Would you like a sip of the corn grits?" Li Hongbing shouted towards the window as he took a nice sip of the corn grits along the edge of the bowl.

A breeze blew.

Li Hongbing sighed in embarrassment. If he would throw a pillow before, but now he doesn't even throw a pillow, I guess Myolie is really angry.

But you can't blame me. Who knew that the ginseng wine would be so powerful that even I, who was not drunk after a thousand cups, would be affected by it.

Ugh!

I'm like this myself, I don't know if Sister-in-law Wang Qian can bear it.

Just as I was thinking about it, the video phone on the door on the wall rang.

Li Hongbing approached and saw Jianjun, who was looking anxious and sweating profusely, and pressed the door button.

Not a moment.

Jianjun hurried into the rice field and saw Li Hongbing squatting under the eaves. He shouted, "Brother, something bad has happened. There are monkeys in the pond at the entrance of our village!"

You need to be careful when drinking corn grits, drink them layer by layer, finish the layer with the cool surface, and then drink the next layer, otherwise it will easily burn your mouth.

Jianjun's voice made Li Hongbing take a big sip of the glutinous rice grits. The hot glutinous rice grits rolled in his mouth. Li Hongbing grinned when he was so hot. He ran into the kitchen and drank a large gulp of cold water to stop the pain. He walked out of the kitchen in a bad mood. Looking at Jianjun.

"You almost scalded me to death by yelling for help. You're a water monkey, a fire monkey. Why are you engaging in feudal superstition?"

Jianjun explained and gestured.

"Brother, there really are water monkeys. A tourist took photos last night. In the morning, Uncle Dakui, Uncle Changshan, Uncle Nulu, Uncle Yandai and my father went to the weir pond to have a look. There is indeed something. It's long. Just like humans, they have three legs.”

"There's a lot of noise in the small square at the entrance of the village. Uncle Dakui wants to arrest him, but Uncle Yandai won't let him go. Please go and have a look."

People, three legs, quarreling?

Li Hongbing immediately became serious, "Are you sure Dakui and Changshan said it was a water monkey and not some other wild animal?"

Ah!

Jianjun quickly nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice.

If it was Dakui and Chang Shan who confirmed it, then it would be a big problem. They are old hunters and should not talk nonsense.

"Let's go and have a look!" Li Hongbing took out the coat from the main room and put it on. When passing by the old oak tree, he asked the budgerigars to go to the meadow to find big flowers, and asked them to go to the village to find him.

Not much.

Li Hongbing came to the entrance of the village and saw a large number of villagers and tourists. His face turned red and his neck was thick, and he hurriedly walked into the crowd.

"Hurry up, Village Chief Li is here."

"Red Soldier, you have to talk to these young people carefully. Water Monkeys are not to be offended."

"Who says you can't be provoked, Uncle Red Soldier, if you don't catch him today, the water monkey will come out to harm people tomorrow."

"You little brat, you know nothing. Hu Qiu said I'd beat your mother."

"Fifth father, you are my niece, go and beat her!"

"You, you, evil beast."

Li Hongbing's head was buzzing when he heard the noise coming from all over the place.

When they came to the stage, all the villagers who had gone down to the pond stood on the stage and divided into two groups to confront each other.

When Li Hongbing walked onto the stage, he stretched out his hand without any further ado and asked, "Where are the photos? Let me take a look!"

Regardless of what others say, seeing is believing.

Taking the photo from Dakui's hand, Li Hongbing glanced at it and paused for a moment.

It’s true that the weir pond was captured in the photo, but what are those two white figures in the lotus leaves?

Are there really water monkeys?

I had never heard of it from the villagers before, and I had never heard of it when my grandfather was here.

Li Hongbing looked up at Dakui, "Is it really a water monkey?"

"I don't know. Anyway, they are two big animals. Brother Chang has also recognized them. I have never seen such wild animals in the mountains." Dakui did not dare to add insult to injury and told the truth based on the actual situation he saw.

Next to him, Chang Shan nodded, "Village Chief Li, Dakui is right. There are two big fives. This is the first time I have seen them in the mountains for so many years."

Ok!

Li Hongbing didn't believe in other people, but Brother Chang Shan's character was such that he didn't run away.

"Where was it last found?"

Li Hongqi quickly jumped out to claim credit, "It's on the muddy ground outside the weir pond. Shengli led people to guard it and no outsiders were allowed to get close."

"Let's go and have a look!"

Li Hongbing didn't bother to pay attention to this troublemaker who was watching the excitement and didn't take it too seriously. He jumped off the stage and strode towards the pond. The crowded crowd gave way.

Arrive at Yantang.

Dakui and Chang Shan led the way to the muddy ground. There were twists and turns like snakes passing on it, and there were also a few drops of dried blood on the shore.

The two old hunters once again explained the speculation to Li Hongbing.

It has claws and three legs and is good at swimming but not good at crawling.

Is it really a water monkey?

Even Li Hongbing was confused after hearing this, which completely overturned his thirty-six years of understanding.

"Red soldiers, you can't arrest them, just drive them away, otherwise the water monkeys will retaliate and harm the village." Uncle Liang took out his feudal rhetoric.

"Uncle, how do you think we can get rid of it?" Li Hongbing pointed to the large weir pond covering an area of ​​ten acres. "If it's a small pond, just throw it out. For such a big pond, go there."

Uncle Lao Liang shook his lips and said, "Then use firecrackers to drive them away."

You always chase the water monkey away from the beast! Let’s not talk about whether you are afraid of firecrackers. Can you hear it while hiding under the water?

Li Hongbing couldn't help but laugh and turned to look at Fu Sheng, "How long has it been since this pond was desilted?"

How many years?

Fu Sheng counted it in his mind and said, "I guess I haven't cleared it in twenty or thirty years."

Twenty or thirty years! ! !

Good guy, the water hasn't been cleared for a long time. No wonder there is something in the water.

Li Hongbing was a little surprised. It is said that the weir pond must be cleaned once every three years, otherwise silt will accumulate and it will be prone to blockage and dam failure.

"Inform the production team leader and arrange for people to clean the weir and pond. By the way, we can see what the water monkey is. Have you asked me if you want to hang out in Caogou Village?"

Qingyan pond?

The villagers present were greatly shocked. Even the young men who were chattering about catching water monkeys did not dare to say a word. They were just talking, but Li Hongbing took it seriously.

"Go quickly. Even if there are no water monkeys, the silt in the weir and pond should be cleared out. If it rains heavily one day, it will be a troublesome thing to collapse the weir and pond."

After giving the order, the villagers did not dare to disobey Li Hongbing's command, no matter how unwilling they were. They turned around and walked back to the village to call for help.

Seeing the villagers walking away, Li Hongbing whispered.

"Dakui, brother Chang Shan, you will take the village hunters with you and keep an eye on the weir and pond later. If there is something, be sure not to let it hurt anyone."

"Uncle Red Soldier, do you want to touch the guy buried in the back mountain?" A bright light flashed in Dakui's eyes.

Chang Shan did not ask what was buried, because in his own village, there were also secrets buried in the back mountain.

Li Hongbing shook his head and said, "Don't move yet. There are many people talking and tourists are watching. Taking it out will easily cause trouble. You go and arrange the manpower first."

After making arrangements, Li Hongbing looked at the calm water.

No matter what kind of ghost you are, it's so audacious to make a living in the village under my control! !

Ouch! ! !

The sound of wolves howling from far to near.

Tourists who watch the fun are not afraid of rejoicing.

What's scary is that there are four wolfdogs, Dahua, Erhei, Sanhui, and Xiaobai. They are internet celebrities, and tourists often make jokes about them and post them on video platforms.

By the way, why didn't you see gold today? Where did that fat tiger go?

Dahua searched for her father's scent and ran to the pond with her younger brothers and sisters. When she saw the crowd looming over the crowd, the wolf dogs put away their laziness and walked to her father's side cautiously.

Li Hongbing stroked the fur of the wolf dogs and pointed at the muddy ground and blood stains on the shore.

"Go and smell it, see if you can find a special smell, and smell those few drops of blood too!"

Woohoo! !

Dahua nodded, and following her father's orders, she and her brothers and sisters lowered their heads to search for the smell.

As the wolfhounds search for clues.

Villagers selected from each group in Caogou Village arrived with farm tools.

When the tourists onlookers saw this gesture, they were immediately excited. They did not expect that such a psychedelic thing would happen during ordinary rural tourism.

Having received nine years of compulsory education, he scorned the heresy of water ghosts such as water monkeys, and sympathized more with the feudal superstition of the villagers.

However, sympathy is sympathy, and it does not affect watching the fun.

They all raised their mobile phones, taking photos and taking videos.

"Village chief, everyone is here!" Li Defa stepped forward carrying a hoe.

There are five production teams in Caogou Village. The five team leaders are Li Defa, Uncle Lao Liang, Tiezhu, Uncle Muzhu, and Shuisheng. The team members who came to participate in the dredging of the weir pond are also old faces.

"Where is the gate of Yantang?" Li Hongbing asked.

"I remember that there is a hidden gate on the other side of the weir and dam, which is specially used for drainage. I don't know if it can still be used." Uncle Fu pointed at a corner of the weir and pond not far away.

"Let's go and have a look. If it doesn't work, demolish the dam!"

Li Hongbing took a shovel and walked over.

Everyone came to the location of the gate and tried the position with shovels. They could not find the gate at all. There had been no dredging for many years, resulting in the gate being buried under a thick layer of silt.

This is trouble!

If you want to open the gate, you must go into the water, but there are water monkeys in the water, who dares to go in.

Besides, the Water Monkey is looking for a scapegoat. With so many people in the village, he may not be able to find his scapegoat. The worst he can do is not reach the waterside.

Just as the villagers were muttering secretly, they saw Li Hongbing taking off his clothes. Everyone panicked and hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

"Uncle Hongbing, how can you go into the water!"

"If you don't allow it, I will do it if you want. The old man has had enough."

"Brother, you can't get off, the village still expects you to lead the way!"

"Village Chief, let me go down. Anyway, I have no father or mother, and I am just an old bachelor."

"Stop talking, I'm a five-guarantee household, I'll do it!"

At this time, Li Hongbing had taken off his clothes, revealing his muscular upper body and eight-pack abs. The old ladies in the village were confused and glanced at Uncle Hongbing boldly and enthusiastically.

I really can’t tell!

Uncle Hong Bing is in great shape. No wonder Shan Xing says he can't bear it.

It’s beautiful up there, but below! !

The old women had never been so eager to get a glimpse of the size. When they heard the men stopping Uncle Hong Bing and offering themselves to the water, they immediately cursed in their hearts with anger.

Look at your unlucky look.

What good-looking things do you have? Even the toenails of Uncle Hong Bing can’t compare.

Uncle Hong Bing, don't agree. It's just you. Take it off!

As if he heard the voices of the old women in the village, Li Hongbing looked at the villagers rushing to get into the water and waved his hand.

"Stop trying to earn money, I'm the village chief, I'll go into the water, you guys can grab a piece of me!!"

Having said that, Uncle Hong Bing has contributed so much to the village that anyone can be missing, but Uncle Hong Bing cannot be missing.

If the Water Monkey drags Uncle Red Soldier to be the scapegoat, the village will return to its original shape, and the good life they just lived will have to eat chaffy vegetables again.

Uncle Yandai and the other old men wanted to say something else, but Li Hongbing didn't give them a chance at all. He took off his pants and jumped into the water.

"Dakui, hurry up and bring someone to guard you!" Uncle Confusion stamped his feet anxiously, and quickly asked Dakui and several hunters to stare at the water.

The water in the weir pond is not deep, there is mud for the feet, and the water is enough to touch the neck.

Just a bit cold.

"Give me the shovel!" Li Hongbing shouted from the water.

Before he finished speaking, a shovel was handed over.

Taking the shovel, Li Hongbing took a deep breath and plunged into the water.

The weir pond fell silent for a moment, and even the tourists on the earth dam did not dare to speak.

I saw a ball of black mud rising up from the clear water. There was something churning at the bottom of the water, but I didn't know whether it was Uncle Red Soldier or a water monkey.

Time passed by minute by minute.

It was the first time that everyone felt that time passed so slowly, so slowly that it made people feel restless.

Wow!

There was a splash on the water.

Immediately afterwards, Li Hongbing emerged from the bottom of the water, holding a rusty iron chain in his hand.

"Found it, catch it!!"

Someone on the shore picked up the chain, and the rest dragged Li Hongbing from the water to the shore.

The water droplets rolled down the body and fell to the ground, leaving only a pair of underwear on the whole body, clinging tightly to the body. The old ladies in the village who had been waiting for it suddenly widened their eyes and took a deep breath.

This guy is so strong! ! !

(End of this chapter)